Fabric-clamp.



0.1. PRIESTER.

FABRIC CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 915.

Patnted May2,19 16.

WITNESSES A Tram/5Y8 D STATES ra'rn UFFlfiEt FABRIC-CLAMP.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed May 17, 1915; Serial No. 28,616.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES J. PRIEsTER,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident,

and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Fabric-Clamp, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide an apparatus for holding fabric while the same is being piled or otherwise operated upon; to provide an apparatus of the character mentioned readilv adjustable to piles of various thicknesses; to reduce the cost of construction in an apparatus of the character mentioned, to simplify the mechanism and to insure the operation of said apparatus on fabric, irrespective of the thickness of the material or the number of piles forming the same.

Dmwz'ngs.Figure l is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention, the pivot block and standard supporting the same being shown in vertical section and the apparatus and mounting therefor belng shown as broken and longitudinally contracted; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken as on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken as on the line 44in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken as on the line 55 in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective showing a hinge block and a fragment of a clamping bar employed in the prevent invention; and F 1g. 7 is a detail view on an enlarged scale in section, the section being taken as on the-line 77.in Fig. 1.

Desoription.-1t has been the custom when laying fabric to be cut or otherwise handled, to place over the free end of each layer orply, aboard or other support for welghts, added thereto. Besides the loss in labor involved in the removal and replacing of the weights and clamping board, there has been a loss of table space available for piling the cloth.

One of the purposes in the present invention, is to avoid the loss of time and space referred to. a To this'end, the apparatus herein disclosed, is provided with a reach bar 12. The bar 12 constitutes the lower member of the clamping device, which is herein substituted for the board and weights superposed thereon above mentioned. At one end the bar 12 has rigidly mounted thereon, a T-head 13. The head 13, as shown best in Fig. l of the drawings, is formed from angle bar and has a vertical flange 14., which squares with the long edge of a laylng table 15. The table 15 is of conventional form. When disposing the apparatus in service, the approved transverse disposition of the bar 12 is assured by resting the flange 14 against the edge of the table 15. The bar 12 is preferably formed of metal, using a thin and wide material. At one end is rigldlv secured a base 16 structurally uniting V-shaped track standards 17. At the upper end thereof, the standards 17 are tied by a cap plate 18. The'plate 18 forms a brace for a compression spiral spring 19, which envelops a stem 20. The stem 20 moves through a perforation in the plate 18 and thereby assists in guiding the justifying block 21. The justifying block 21 is furnlshed with a series of perforations 22 and is grooved laterally in correspondence with the runners 011 the track standards 17. The perforations referred to as formed in the block 21 are provided to receive the positioning pin 23 on the hinge block 2 1. The block 21 is also furnished with a vertically disposed flange 25 to extend between the end 26 of the clamping bar 28 and the pendant plate 27 formed upon the said hinge block, as best seen in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The

end 26 and plate 27, by engaging the flange 25 avoid inordinate rocking of the bar 28.

The bar 28, as shown best in Fig. 7, is constructed from angle bar and has rigidly secured thereon, a pivot block 29 for connection with the hingeblock 2 1. Adjacent the opposite end and bymeans of a pin 30, is pivoted a swinging blade 31. The blade 31 is furnished at the outer end with an operating handle 32 and a tooth blade 33. The blade 33 has at the extreme end, a tooth section 34, which as seen best in Fig.2 of the drawings, registers with a ratchet plate 35. The ratchet plate 35 is bolted to one of the guide standards 36. The guide standards 36 are rigidly mounted on the bar 12 at the 1 end thereof opposite that end, where are placed the track standards.- The passage between the standards 36 is open at the top, so that the bar 28 may be freely lifted from the said passage. To lift the bar 28 and the blade 31 connected therewith from between the standards 36, the bar 28 and the blade 33 mounted thereon, are rocked on the pin 23. When the blade 33 is rocked away from the plate 35, the section 34, disengages from the teeth of the said plate. When on the contrary, the bar 28 and blade 33 are rocloed toward the plate 35, the tooth section 34 reengages the teeth of the plate 35. It will be observed at this point that the pull on the lower edge of the bar 28 rocks the said bar to place section 34 in engagement with the plate 35.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings, there is shown the means employed for resiliently connecting the bar 28, and blade 31. The vertical flange of the bar 28 has rigidly secured thereon, a stirrup strap 37, the end 38 whereof is turned in the manner shown in Fig. 7, to form a rest for the coil spring 39. The coil spring 39 surrounds a guide pin 10 extending from the under side of the horizontal flange 41 of the blade 31. The arrangement is such as will permit a movement of the blades 31 and 33 under spring tension. This facility of movement avoids the checking or blocking of the bar 28 in service.

0peration.Wl1en employing an apparatus, such as described, the operation is as follows: The T-head 13 is adjusted to the edge of the table 15 next to the operator. The bar 12 then extends at an angle of 90 degrees to said edge across the said table. A piece of fabric on the bolt is disposed on the table and the rear edgeis drawn therefrom and placed in adjusted position on the reach bar 12, in the path of the clamping bar 28. It will be understood that the clamping bar 28 may or may not have been prior to this, placed in operating position. If not so placed, the bar is then lifted to position where the pin 23 is introduced into the lowermost of the perforations 22. The distance between the lower perforation 22 and the upper surface of the reach bar 12, is less than the combined width of the vertical flange of the clamping bar 28 and the hinge block 24. Therefore when and as the bar 28 is placed in operative position, pressure is applied on the cloth by means of the spring 19, which normally presses the block 21 toward the lowermost position thereof. When now the end of the bar 28 passes to the lowermost position and when at its end, the said bar rests lightly on the fabric, the operator depresses the handle 32, the blade 31 connected therewith swinging on the pin 30. The spring 39 is by this action compressed to thrust the end 38 of the stirrup strap 37 and transmit therethrough to the bar 28, a pressure approximating that on the spring 39. This spring pressure being thus applied to the fabric, the layer of cloth is held, while the bolt is unrolled away from the apparatus to the far end or section of the table 15. In practice at the said end of the table or section referred to the fabric is severed from the bolt and the bolt is again removed to the neighborhood of the clamp and the rear edge drawn back to rest or lean upon the bar 28. The operator then grasping the handle 32 rocks the bar 28 to remove the tooth section from engagement with the teeth of the plate 35. Vhen thus released, the bar 28 is lifted, the end thereof, to which the handle 32 is attached, being guided by the standards 36. hen the bar 28 is thus lifted, the cloth which has been disposed on the same, is permitted to drop upon the bar 12 below and in the path of the bar 28. The operator then depressing said bar 28 causes the same to clamp the fabric in which position he looks the said bar 28 by rocking the same until the tooth section 3 1 engages the ratchet plate 35. The above de scribed operation is repeated until the pile of fabric disposed on the bar 12 requires the adjustment of the bar 28 with reference to the justifying block 21. This readjustment is effected by withdrawing the pin 23 from the lowermost perforation and in placing it in the perforation 22 above that from which it has been removed. The operation of piling the fabric now continues until the increase requires that the bar 28 be again adjusted to the block 21, the next succeeding perforation 22 being then engaged by the pin 23 and so on until the uppermost of the perforations 22 is employed.

It will be understood that when the cloth has been piled and the clamp is no longer required, this may be lifted from the table 15 and stored in convenient location.

Claims:

1. A clamp as characterized comprising a reach bar removablymounted on a cut ting table; a clamping bar; means for pivotally mounting said clamping bar, said means embodying a serially perforated justifying block, guide standards therefor, and means for yieldingly holding said justifying block; and means for locking the free end of said clamping bar in service relation.

2. A clamp as characterized comprising a reach bar removably mounted on a cutting table; a clamping bar; means for pivotally mounting said clamping bar, said means embodying a serially perforated justifying block, guide standards therefor, and means for yieldingly holding said justifyingblock; and means for locking the free end of said clamping bar in service relation, said means embodying a guide channel, a ratchet plate extending therein, and a toothed member connected with said bar for engaging said ratchet plate.

3. A clamp as characterized comprising a reach bar removably mounted on a cutting table; a clamping bar; means for pivotally mounting said clamping bar, said means embodying a serially perforated justifying block, guide standards therefor, and means for yieldingly holding said justifying block; means for locking the free end of said clamping bar in service relation, said means embodying a guide channel, a ratchet plate extending therein, and a toothed member connected With said bar for engaging said ratchet plate; a handle pivotally connected With said clamping bar; and yielding means connecting said handle and said bar.

4.-A clamp as characterized comprising a. reach bar removably mounted on a cutting table; a clamping bar; means for pivotally mounting said clamping bar, said means embodying a serially perforated justifying block, guide standards therefor, and means for yieldingly holding said justifying block; and means for locking the free end of said clamping bar in service relation, said means embodying a handle pivotally mounted on said bar, a ratchet plate mounted adjacent said handle, and a toothed member mounted on said handle for engaging said ratchet plate When said bar is rocked.

5. A clamp as characterized comprising a reach bar; a plurality of guide standards vertically mounted thereon; a justifying block mounted to move between said standards in guided relation thereto, said block having a plurality of perforations; and a clamping bar having at the end thereof a supporting member for insertion in the perforations of said justifying block.

6. A clamp as characterized comprising a reach bar; a plurality of guide standards vertically mounted thereon; a justifying block mounted to move between said standards in guided relation thereto, said block having a plurality of perforations; a clamping bar; and a hinge block mounted thereon, said block being arranged to engage said perforations.

7. A clamp as characterized comprising a reach bar; a plurality of guide standards vertically mounted thereon; a justifying block mounted to move between said standards in guided relation thereto, said block having a plurality of perforations; a clamping bar; a hinge block mounted thereon, said block beingarranged to engage said perforations; and a seating spring for holding said justifying block in depressed position.

In Witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES J. PRIESTER.

Witnesses:

E. F. MURDOCK, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. C. 

